Guiding device for circuit controllers



Patented July 15, 1%33 PATENT FIC,"

JOHN E. LONG, OF MULTNOMAH, OREGON GUIDING DEVICE FOR CIRCUITCONTROLLERS Application filed June 21, 1928. Serial No. 287,308.

My invention relates to electric circuit controlling apparatus andespecially to that type adapted to control a plurality of circuits by asingle tape-like insulating member perforated to cover and uncover aseries of exposed terminals.

The principal object of my invention is to provide controlling apparatusof this character with means for guiding such tape so that theperforations in the latter will be in absolute registration with theterminals and to accomplish this end with noiseless means which may beeasily and quickly alined and which do not produce a great amount offriction to the passage of such tape-like control element as it passesover them.

A further object of my invention is to provide efficient means foreliminating dirt or other foreign matter from the control apparatus,which would interfere with its efficient operation by becoming attachedto the tape-like control member and to fill the perforations in thelatter.

I attain such objects by providing a container, adapted to house suchterminals and have such tape-like control elements lead therethru, witha removable cover to which are attached spaced pendent guide elements.The lower end of such guide elements are formed into upwardly openingcups facing opposite the direction of motion of such tape and lyingbelow the level of the liquid contained in such container, so as tocatch the foreign material which collects as scum on top of the liquid.Such liquid and the scum carried thereby are caused to flow by themovement of the tape and such scum flows into such cups and can beremoved from the liquid when the cover is removed from the Y container.

Further details of construction and the mode of operation of my improvedcircuit controlling device are hereinafter described with reference tothe accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a longitudinal fragmentary section thru such controllingapparatus;

Fig. 2 is a detail view of the cover with the j pendent tape guidingelements carried thereby; and

Fig. 3is a fragmentary plan view of such device showing the adjustablemounting for one of such guides.

My invention relates particularly to the circuit controlling apparatusshown in Reissue Patent No. 16,809, granted December 9, 1927, to myself,and thus in this application I will not describe in detail all of suchcontrolling apparatus, but only the parts specifically directed towardsthis improvement and reference is had to such re-issue patent for adescription of the general structure and operation of the entirecontrolling apparatus.

Such controlling apparatus includes a container a, the bottom a ofwhich, at least, is made of insulating or non-conducting material,because in such bottom a plurality of terminals 7) are carried inpredetermined pattern, the upper ends I) of such terminals beingsubstantially flush with the inner surface of such bottom a. The sidewalls a of such container extend upwardly a substantial distance and abody of mercury 0, or other similar liquid is contained therein. A cover(Z is carried by such container, the ends d thereof not extendingentirely to the end of the container so as to provide slots 6 thru whichthe tape-like control 7 can be led into the con tainer, and out of thelatter. Electrical connection is made between the terminals 7) and thesource of electrical energy thru perforations in such tape 7, the bodyof mercury 0 being in electrical circuit with a source of electricalenergy thru a. connection 9 To utilize the maximum length. of the bottoma of. such container, guides are provided at the ends of the latter tohold the tape-like control f against the bottom and the tape-likecontrol element f makes a relatively sharp angle aboutv such guides.Heretofore, as shown in such re-issue patent, I have pro,- vided rollersat the ends to serve as such guides, but because of such sharp angle,any slight lack of a-linement with the guide rollers h at each endserves to lead the tapedike,

control element out of registration with the terminals Z). This isevidently because the rolling contact of the guide rollers tend to leadthe control element to permit the latter to assume a'straight linebetween the guide rollers h at each end. That is, such guide rollerswithin the container have a screw action when there is any lack ofalinement. T o overcome this difiiculty and others, I provide guideelements i consisting of fixed pendent members carried by the cover (Z,the lower ends of which are formed into upwardly facing cups 7' withtheir forward edge slightly below the level of the body of mercury 0.Such cup-like ends are faced to oppose the direction of motion of thetape-like control element 7 and such cups are imperforate.

One or both of such guides 71 are fastened to the cover by screws 71:,which pass thru slotted holes Z so as to permit the guides i to beadjusted relatively to such cover and to be alined exactly. The outersurface of the guides i are highly polished to eliminate friction andthe bottom of the cup-shaped ends 1' extend into transverse grooves m inthe container bottom. The provision of such grooves m tends to hold thetape tightl upon the terminals and to prevent the cont ucting liquid 0from entering thereunder.

- As has been previously mentioned, there is a perceptible flow in thebody of mercury 0 when the tape-like control element f is pulledtherethru and foreign matters getting into such container form as a scumon top of such mercury and unless removed, such scum at heres to thetape-like control. element to clog the perforations therein. Guiderollers tended to pull such foreign matter downwardly onto such tapewhile the provision of cups tends to collect such material and if thecover (I is lifted from time to time the scum collected in such cups jcan be removed easily.

I claim:

1. In an electric circuit controlling device of the character describedincluding a liquid container adapted to have a tape-like control elementled therethru and along the bot tom thereof, the combination of a.removable cover for such container having a pendent transverse guideelement for such control element arranged within such container, thelowermost portion thereof a d apt-ed to engage such control element,such portion being nonrotatable, and rounded in longitudinal section.

2. In an electric circuit controlling device of the character describedincluding a liquid container adapted to have a tapelike con rol elementled therethru and along the bot thereof. the combination of a removablecover for such container having a pair of spaced, pendent, transverseguide elements for such control element arranged within suchcontainer,tl1e lowermost portion thereof adapted to engage such controlelement, such portion being non-rotatable, and rounded in longitudinalsection.

3. In an electric circuit controlling device of the character describedincluding a liquid container adapted to have a tape-like control elementled therethru, the combination of a guide element for such controlelement ar' ranged within such container, the lower end of such guideelement forming an upwardly opening cup for the purpose specified.

4. In an electric circuit controlling device of the character describedincluding a liquid container adapted to have a tape-like control elementled therethru, the combination of a guide element for such controlelement arranged within such container, the lower end of such guideelement forming an upwardly opening cup facing to oppose the directionof motion of such tape for the purpose specified.

5. In an electric circuit controlling device of the character describedincluding a liquid container adapted to have a tape-like control elementled therethru, the combination of a guide element for such controlelement arranged within such container, the lower end of such guideelement forming an upwardly opening cup lying slightly below the levelof the liquid in such container for the purpose specified.

6. In an electric circuit controlling device of the character describedincluding a liquid container adapted to have a tape-like control elementled therethru, the combination of a guide element for such controlelement arranged within such containcr, the lower end of such guideelement forming an upwardly opening cup facing to oppose the directionof motion of such tape and lying slightly below the level of the liquidin such container for the purpose specified.

JOHN E. LONG.

